Countering Modi’s claims is my motive: Shweta Bhatt

Shweta, who filed her nomination as Modi’s opponent for Maninagar constituency, talked to Roxy Gagdekar about her motive, the fight for justice and about herself.

Suspended IPS officier, Sanjiv Bhatt’s wife Shweta has taken her husband’s fight with chief minister Narendra modi a step further, she will battle it out at Modi’s bastion, Maninagar, on Congress support in the 2012 assembly elections. Shweta, who filed her nomination as Modi’s opponent for Maninagar constituency, talked to Roxy Gagdekar about her motive, the fight for justice and about herself.

Why did you enter politics?
Since the day my husband (suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt) was arrested and unnecessarily harassed by the police on the behest of Modi, I decided to contest election against him (Modi) at any cost — as an independent candidate or by aligning with any party. There is no freedom and democracy in Gujarat and I want people of Ahmedabad to know this. Think before you vote for Modi.

Why Congress and not any other political party?
I want to contest elections against Modi, and as I said, Congress offered me a platform to contest the election against him. I had welcomed it and officially joined the party.

There are allegations by BJP that your husband is with Congress. Now, when you have officially joined the party, this has been proved.

This is an old habit of BJP. It always tries to divert the main issue by questioning the credibility of a person. Being an intelligence officer, my husband has friends and sources everywhere, be it the Congress or even the BJP.

What is your agenda? What will you tell people of Maninagar, or Gujarat?
Before asking for votes, I want to reveal the truth to the people of Maninagar. I am not here to enjoy power. I want to tell people about hard facts of Gujarat and want them to think before they get carried away by Modi’s false claims. He takes undue credit for all developmental schemes implemented by the central government. Why does he want to take credit? Being a chief minister, it is his responsibility to do this.

About you…I am BA Llb and a trained Odissi dancer. But I am a homemaker, cook, mother of two kids and also have a flair for interior designing. I never thought I will ever enter politics — at least not until Modi government started harassing my husband.

Why Modi and nobody else?I am here for the truth. I want people to know the truth. I want to tear off Modi’s mask of development.

Your views about the current Modi govt…The government wants cars and not farms and fields, it wants us to eat cars and not wheat. It has completely failed to curb price of edible oil, which is controlled by the state government. It has failed to find missing kids of the state. Modi has taken innumerable photographs to publicise himself at various government events, if he would have publicized half the numbers of missing kids’ photos it would have decreased the numbers of missing kids in the state.

Will Sanjiv Bhatt campaign for you?
He is not required to campaign for me. I have his support and that is more than enough for me.